Mobile stations which, for example, support the UMTS Standard (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) have to synchronize their signal processing devices to the signals which they receive from base stations. Such synchronization is necessary in order to make it possible to correctly decode the data received with the received signal. Furthermore, a synchronized transmission signal must be sent by the mobile station to the base station in order that the base station can correctly decode the transmission signal received from the mobile station.
When a signal which is transmitted from the base station is received by the mobile radio station, the content of this received signal must be analyzed by the mobile station. In this case, it is necessary to identify characteristic signal contents, such as the start of a data transmission frame or the start of a time slot. These characteristic signal contents are monitored continuously in order, when appropriate, to detect a change in the position of these signal contents and then to make it possible to readjust the mobile station. This time readjustment of the reception path of the mobile station is carried out by means of a control unit in the mobile station. Furthermore, the mobile station must be synchronized to the times of occurrence of these characteristic signal contents in order to carry out actions on the received signal at defined times, in particular to transmit signal contents. The time matching of the mobile station to the signals from the base station, specifically on the one hand the readjustment of the reception path and on the other hand the synchronization of the transmission path of the mobile station to the base station, is carried out in known arrangements in mobile stations in such a way that only a single, common sequence control unit is provided for the transmission path and for the reception path. This relates not only to mobile stations which support the UMTS Standard but also to mobile stations which support the GSM/EDGE Standard. Particularly in the case of the transmission methods which are used in the UMTS Standard, only continuous signals are in general received and transmitted. Slaving of the mobile radio station to the signal received from a base station, and synchronization of the transmission path therefore result in particular difficulties in the UMTS Standard. Particularly in the case of mobile stations which support the UMTS Standard, the problem thus occurs that the control signals for the transmission path, which are generated in this single sequence control unit, must also be reprogrammed for synchronization of the reception path. This is necessary in order to maintain the time shift of 1024 chips between the reception path and the transmission path of the mobile station, as specified in the UMTS Standard. The synchronization of the reception path thus also continually requires reprogramming of the control signals for the transmission path. The synchronization process can thus be carried out only with a very large amount of effort.